The properties of interfaces, particularly electrified ones, differs when they are investigated at the bulk level or at the nanoscale level. Nanoscale proprieties (conductivity, electrical charge, reaction rates…) can be drastically different from the perceived interfacial characteristic recorded a bulk leve experiments. For interfacial processes the interface’s characteristics might be limiting the overall chemical process happening at it, this is true for a host of chemical process, spanning from cell biology to energy storage and conversion devices. Understanding how the different characteristics and phenomena at the nanoscale impact the overall chemical process is key to truly understanding interfacial reactions. For “real word” applications, the gain of such knowledge will allow to tailor interfaces so only the desired nanoscale characteristic/feature is present.

Most electrochemical techniques are blind to nanoscale level features, and most studies on interfaces are performed at a bulk level. We seek to understand how the individual, nanoscale, features and characteristics are translated to the bulk behaviour, doing it so with the aid of space resolved electrochemical techniques (SECM, SECCM, SICM). It could all be a case of a simple average of the characteristics? It could be a weighted average instead? But weighted by what? It could be a different case for cell biology than it is for catalyses? We sure will try to know! 

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